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OTHER STUFF

Alex Marwood’s “The Killer Next Door” Book Review

April 25, 2017 / OTHER STUFF / 0 comments

“Everyone who lives at 23 Beulah Grove has a secret”.

Hi Bookworms! here’s a bone-chilling novel that I recently finished, it’s called “The Killer Next Door” by Alex Marwood. Yes, the title is as intriguing and gruesome as the story. It circles around the lives of the six residents, namely;

Cher: A teenage runaway with attitude issues.

Vesta: An elderly woman who seems to have lived in the boarding house for forever and has monetary issues.

Collette: The main character who’s running away from someone or something, and whose real name is Lisa.

Hossein: A middle eastern refugee who just wants to forget.

Gerard: A recluse and a former music teacher.

Thomas. Another oddball who also likes to keep to himself and is currently occupying the attic.

Together with their creepy landlord Roy Preece, this is a story of a harrowing life in the city of London, where the residents live in a Victorian-style but dilapidated boarding house. All of them have secrets to hide, and all of them seem to be running away from their sordid past. Preferring to forget and remain incognito. Most of the time, they like to keep to themselves and are always wary.

The residents seem to enjoy the anonymity that the building has offered, yet things aren’t always what they seem. There will be a terrible accident that will unite them together, and one of them is hiding a very deep dark secret. Much darker than what each of them already have. This is a tale of life, secrets, friendships, love, reality, wickedness, obsession and murder. This aint’ a tale for the faint of heart, not even for someone with a weak stomach. The details of the story are lurid, grotesque and almost scary.

Even though the story was intriguing and had a pretty satisfying ending with a good twist, this was a slow read for me. I like the whole concept of the story but it transitions from one event to another very slowly. The audiobook was the same, even though I kinda like the reader because she has different voices for each character. Yet still, the book was told in the third person being from the point of view of each character, and I still find that to be kinda hard to connect. Just not a fan of the third person narration, and it was also hard to follow as to who was who in the story. The first half was quite monotonous and the story starts to take hold almost at the end of the book. There’s few twists, but they weren’t so mind-bending. Some arguments were already expected and the overall pace of the book could need a little more push.

Overall, the book is riveting enough and the author truly captures the thoughts and struggles of each character while depicting the plot as realistic as can be. A good series adaptation would be great. I heard James Franco might be starring on it. I really hope so.

Have you read this book?

To purchase this book on paperback, click HERE.

To read via kindle, click HERE.

To listen to this novel via audible, click HERE.

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Big Little Lies Book Review

February 2, 2017 / OTHER STUFF / 0 comments

Things are seemingly perfect in Pirriwee. Everyone’s so nice and welcoming. What could go wrong? Until one Trivia Night….

Hey Everyone! I just finished reading this Big Little Lies book by Liane Moriarty and I know that HBO is about to release the series adaptation of this book at this month! Yes this February, like February 19! Yeah, OMG! Well, let me tell you that this book is quite an amazing fun read. The title is catchy and it’s pretty thick, but no worries, as each chapters are very short. So it’s gonna be quick and painless.

What I like about this book is how the characters are well-written. They’re well-characterized and their personalities and conflicts are well-described. They grow on you and they’re such interesting personas living in a so-called idyllic Pirriwee Peninsula.

The story revolves around (mostly of) three women; Madeline, Celeste and Jane. Jane is new in town, ( like in the HBO trailer, portrayed by Shailene Woodley) and her kid Ziggy (as in Ziggy Stardust) will be joining the Pirriwee Public. Madeline is a savvy, vigilant, multitasking, fierce and fashionable mom, while Celeste is ethereal, gorgeous, perfect and super rich.

Their kids will eventually attend Pirriwee Public and they will all meet some familiar faces from their past. There will be groups of snobby and nosy parents together with the seemingly clueless teachers. There will be kid fights, bullying, jealousy, attraction, gossip, scandal, hate, pain, suffering, and secrets. Like the book’s title, Big Little Lies. One small lie could snowball into something big.

All the characters’ lives will intertwine on their long awaited Trivia Night of the Pirriwee Public. Soon, their lives will change forever.

This book will grow on you. It is entertaining, shocking, relatable and riveting. It’ll make you think twice about the people around you. Hmmm…

Don’t forget to watch the first episode of HBO’s adaptation of this book, Big Little Lies on February 19th, Sunday 9pm Eastern Time. Hopefully the show’s gonna be awesome. BUT! before you watch the show, take time to read the book first. You can buy the book HERE, or listen to the audiobook HERE.

Ciao Ciao Marco, Hello Amedeo, LOL ????

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All The Light We Cannot See, Book Review

October 6, 2016 / OTHER STUFF / 0 comments

Let me tell about a book I’ve read last year that still pains me whenever I remember it. It’s not exactly the saddest book I’ve read, but for me, it’s quite a tearjerker. It’s hard for me to forget about this book because the story focuses during one of the hard times of our history. The story is about a blind French girl and a German boy with the plot set in occupied France during the World War II. The book’s title is “All The Light We Cannot See” by the American author, Anthony Doerr.

The book has won numerous awards, the biggest being the 2015 Pulitzer Prize for Fiction and has spent several weeks in the New York Times Best Seller.

The book is written in the third person, classic style that really describes the hardship of the people living during the World War II. It’s sad to read about it, and it’s even more sad when a blind French girl named Marie-Laure LeBlanc had to flee Paris to seek refuge in a coastal town where her great-uncle lives. What would happen to her? Meanwhile, in Germany, an 8 year old orphan Werner Pfennig dreams of a much better life. But at what price he has to pay? Two kids from two different countries, from two different standpoints, they don’t know each other, but soon, their paths will cross.

I really like the story, it’s heartwarming yet sad, it’s melodramatic but somehow all’s well that ends well, but not so much because the characters have been through a lot and they’re never going be the same again. It’s quite a tough book to read, not only for its sad story, but also the first half of the book can be quite detailed that you might lose interest. I suggest that you stick with it because the book is an experience in itself. Also, if you listen to its audiobook via Amazon’s Audible, the experience is like complete immersion.

All The Light We Cannot See by Anthony Doerr indeed deserves all the awards it can get. Have read this? Did you like it?

You can buy the book HERE, or listen to its audiobook HERE.

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